It is becoming increasingly common for banks or other financial institutions to handle electronic versions of physical checks. When a physical check is submitted to a bank, the bank may optically scan one or both sides of the physical check and store the images (front and back) as a single data file. The data file typically includes index information—information about the check, such as the parties involved, the check amount, the check date, the bank(s) involved, magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) information, and the like.
The data file containing one or both images and/or the index information is normally stored as a Common Import Format File (CIFF) file. CIFF is a widely-used format in the banking industry, and is normally used in conjunction with the well-known Check Image Export (CIE) system. CIFF files are used to pass check image and index information between systems and companies, and to customers.
CIFF files often have problems, especially with the images stored therein. Conventional check management systems convert the information in the CIFF files to a different format for database storage. For example, the Carreker Check Image Management System, also known as CIMS, is a check management system commonly used for this purpose. Unfortunately, when a problematic CIFF file has been provided to such database systems (such as one that is missing image tags or has improper image tags), the check management systems typically are unable to display the images that were originally in the CIFF file.